English phrases

In English instruction, both slang and dialect are treated as unsatisfactory forms of communication. The emphasis on proper English in the classroom neglects to acknowledge the diversity of the speakers who constitute the Diaspora of English. Consequently, many English speakers do not even know the difference between slang and dialect, and are unaware of how their own speech is affected. For instance, if a young person were to say “I ain’t got no homework today”, this may be interpreted as slang…

language that Shakespeare used back in the sixteenth century, known as Old English. During that time period, the people where Shakespeare lived used this type of language. Today most of the people use slang terms like when the person is texting somebody else they use shorter terms and acronyms, also known as texting lingo. Most of those words have changed since the Shakespearean period because of the standardization process. The English language has changed drastically since Shakespeare’s era…

Standard English Grammar takes priority in teaching from kindergarten to college and university. The Standard English Grammar sets rules on the way both professional and nonprofessional writing is conducted; these rules place priority on the structure of a sentence, where punctuation is placed, and consistent tenses. While the issue of consistent verb tenses within writing is valid, the punctuation and structure of a sentence itself should not have priority over what is “good” and “bad” writing…

John Simon, the author of “Why Good English Is Good for You”, addresses his arguments mainly towards people who do not employ the use of proper English and those who shape their minds; Simon engages certain rhetorical choices in order to prove that good English is tremendously beneficial to all individuals. Having initially written this article for Esquire magazine, Simon was able to reach a broad audience to communicate his ideas. Throughout the majority of the article, the conversation is…

meaning of the author often influences the reader's ability to fully comprehend translated texts. Similarly, in Victor Hugo's historical novel Les Misérables, much of Hugo's brilliant contemplations of the French language is often lost in English…

people out of the 320 million living in the United States speak fluent Spanish and millions more have some knowledge of the Spanish language. In The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao the author, Junto Diaz, frequently integrates spanish words and phrases into his writing and demonstrates that Spanish is not a minority language in the United States. Diaz utilizes a technique commonly referred to as Code-switching in order to represent the blurred boundaries of language around the globe.. Diaz…

non-Standard English and Standard English. Tan views non-standard English as her mother tongue language because her family can communicate better with her. She views Standard English as the formal way to communicate with professional people in a daily basis. English is the formal language in the United States of America, however, not every individual has the knowledge, the education or ability to speak or express themselves using the formal English Language. In our society, the non-standard…

century, English became the world’s most essential tool to decrease the language barrier worldwide as it is used in most educational and academic writings. Labeled as the ‘international language’, the English language has made a huge impact both in the highly influenced civilizations of the planet and in me. English was introduced to me ever since I was young, but…

African American English. African American English (AAE) is commonly referred to as Ebonics, as well as black speech, black vernacular, and several other phrases. According to William Labov, “This African American Vernacular English shares most of its grammar and vocabulary with other dialects of English. But it is distinct in many ways, and it is more different from Standard English (SE) than any other dialect spoken in continental North America.” (Pullum, 39). African American English is in…

In George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language,” though it was written in 1946 it remains very relevant for modern students use of language. In this essay, Orwell argues that the English language has become very poor and is evolving in a bad way. It is becoming this way because writers are not taking it serious and are writing with foolish intentions. In his essay he gives a list of rules one should not break while writing. The first one is “Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of…